Japan Eyes Monitoring Int'l Communications for Cyber Defense

   Tokyo, Dec. 7 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government plans to monitor international communications linked to the country without the consent of those involved if it obtains prior approval from an independent third-party organization, as part of cyber defense efforts, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
   The government will submit a related bill to an ordinary session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, to be convened in January next year, to develop legislation for active cyber defense, or pre-emptive action to prevent cyberattacks, according to the sources.
   The envisaged active cyber defense system is to acquire and analyze communications information even in normal times. If there is a risk of a serious attack, police or the Self-Defense Forces will break into the attacker's server and take measures to make the attack harmless.
   Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stressed at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Thursday that Japan is vulnerable to cyberattacks. "We'll compile a bill as soon as possible and have it deliberated in the Diet," he added.
   The government's monitoring targets are expected to be communications between foreign countries via Japan, from Japan to foreign countries, and from foreign countries to Japan. This is based on the fact that most cyberattacks in Japan come from outside the country.

(2024/12/07-17:57)

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